Treatment of disease with inhaled aerosols in young children can be difficult. The time required for nebulized aerosols to deliver an effective dose, the “mist” generated and/or the noise of the nebulizer pump can distract and/or frighten a child and result in the child removing the facemask. Boredom and discomfort are additional reasons that a child may remove the facemask. For air jet nebulizers, this often results in wasted drug, which is vented to atmosphere. In addition to waste, efficacy and delivery efficiency are negatively affected. Further, there may be negative facial and/or ocular effects due to the drug being deposited outside the facemask.
In addition, the transition from nebulized drugs to those delivered by a metered dose inhaler (MDI) with a spacer and facemask can be difficult due to the newness of the experience and the difference in sensation of inhaling propellant-based aerosols. As a result, children may remove the facemask leading to the same drawbacks described above.